Aerial target



June 11, 1935. w. G. WARREN 2,004,543

AERIAL TARGET Filed June 19, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 June 11, 1935. w. WARREN AERIAL TARGET Filed June 19, 1933 Z Sheets Sheet 2 Patented June 11, 1935 Zfittfiti V UNITED STATES PATENT omos' Application June 19, 1933, Serial'No. 676,593

In Belgium March 17, 1933 9 Claims. (Cl. 12417) This invention relates to aerial targets and Fig. 10 is a cross section on the l ne Nil-+ has for its object to produce a target of this de- Fig. 5. V e 1 scription which will quickly fall to earth when a Referring'to the several'views of the drawings hit is scored, which is of simple and cheap conin which like reference numerals indicate like 5 Stfuetion, and which is capable of repeated use. parts throughoutthe several'views; and firstnto 5v With these objects in view, the invention, stated the Construction 11t0 inclusive, 1 is the in general terms, consists of a body portion havb dY portion of the target P b y a f .a ing supporting wing portions connected thereto strip of sheet metal. 2, Z-are the wing portions but which wing portions are automatically disconhere ShOWh as: ihtegiallyfmmed and P f ab y 1'1ected from the body portion when a hit is p d of a very i strip. of flexible Shoot scored. Said wing portions may be, and in the metal. The tailpiece i 'PI V W W r preferable form of construction are, integrally" Wardly e t di u S' p y fonned, i. e., rigidl conheoted together and are t r u h thr u h w h passes a s wretainboth secured to the body portion by the same at P 6 y means Of which the tail Piece 3 is $0 15' taohing means. Preferably the body portion ha pivoted to the rear'end of the'body portion 1 that 15 its longest dimensions from front to rear with the it maybe at a y desired angle en the Screw center of gravity in advance of a point midway h dy p ti is so w d a t pla between the front and rear ends thereof and may t center av ty h f f rward f a p int consist of a single flat piece of material, preferw y between the nt a d ea ds o the go ably metal, although if desired, the body por- Said body p io 'is may'be secur d in any tion may be formed to somewhat resemble the suitable way, but as here shown' it is accomoutline of a, birds body and be provided t plishedby' riveting to thebody, por'tionplates of cover for retaining confetti or other material immetal 'L On each Side Of the y, e of itating feathers, which cover is automatically de-' said pl s losin p v wit arwardlyv extanned h a h t is scored 1 tending arm I. Extending upward from the 25 The inventive idea is capable of receiving p s abovethet p -Of h belly portion l variety of mechanical expressions, one of which, are a P i Of ge wh h1 5 e undercut" for the purpose of illustrating the invention, is their ferwaldsidee leaving a recess f r 8) shown in the accompanying d win b nt s t purpose which will'behereinafter described. Prefbe expressly understood that such drawings are embly the body portion has DOI'tiOIlS d- 30 for the purpose" of illustration only and are not e up betweeh'the to which the latte!" designed to define th li it t t o lugs areriveted as clearly shown in the drawings. reference being had to the appended claims for The S p of metal forming the W portions this purpose. 2, 2 is provided at its forward e ge with anup- 1 In the drawings, v wardly extendingflange Hand a downwardly ex- 35 Fig. 1 is a perspective view of one form of th 1 tending flange the be e i v ti integrally formed with the;.'wi.ng portions, or

Fig 2 is a side elevation f the body portion. 6 preferably, and as here shown, riveted thereto and Fig. 1 with the wing portions and the tail piece extending 9 each, d f t b portion 40 Shown in cross section; for a distance to approximately equal the width 40 Fig 3 is a top plan View of Slightly more ha of the body'of a bird. 7 The rear edges of the one half of Fig. 1; wing portions 2, ZQare provided with down- Fig. 4 is a cross section on the lines 44 of Wardly ext-ending flanges H which may be riveted to the wing'portioris as shown or integrally formed therewith. By riveting the flange portions 9, I 0 and 'I|,'the'wing portions are reen- H forced atthis oint. The lower flan es I0 and Fig. 6 s a brol en and expanded view of apart H e struc}? by a Shot affectpthegwmg of h t portion Fltgf 5; tions so that they are not only forced forward 7 1S perspectlve Vlew of the body portlon but are also tilted upward. The strip of metal 501 of 5; f I constituting the wingportion has a central open- Fig. 8 is a perspective broken detail of the wing ing" g formed thereinnear t forward edge D and the downwardly extending flanges II are Fig. 9 is a cross section on the line 9-9 of separated by a. slot 13 of sufficient width to fit 55, Fig. 5, and f v j v snugly over the body portion just in front of the Fig. 5 is a perspective view of another form of the invention;

' these portions;

together in such a way that when the target is projected forward the wing portion will be firmly held in supporting position, but when a hit is scored by a shot striking. any one ofv the flanges 9, H) or H, the wing portion will be'thrown forward relative to the body portion; whichabody. portion, by reason of the fact that its centrofl gravity is well forward, will dive head. foremost.

to the ground. This diving feature, immediately upon the scoring of? therhit, of: great. im-

portance, since in competitive matches it is free quently' required that the target? cometo; earth within. aLcertain radiusifromi the: pointofr project tion. The movement of: the targetthrouglrthew air, as well as the dive of.thebody-portionwhen a hit is scored, can. be modified? orrcontrolledrby' the set of the tail piece: 3. Q a

It will be observed thatv the: wing portion is -,moved forwardlby: a very'slight application of.

force'on the flangeportionsxil, or H,-andoffers but'a. very 'slightfresistancetoaa shot: hitting The. result is that: thesei flange: portions are seldom ever" perforated bythe shot, and after a hitihasbeemscored'r thezwing;

portions and. thei body portiont may be readily picked up and reassembled foruse: again. Actual experience has taught that-this-target. can-- be used scores of times;

Now referring: to Figs: 55 to lililinclusive, the

body portion. is here showni as.- c'omposect of a plurality of'bulgingstripscof metalwl; l5; riveted. to a central. longitudinal. extending; strip l the bulge'of the sidestrips beingsuchrastozroughly 45- resemble .thez'body of- 2; bird, and the. centrali strip I is provided withilugs8, 8' asin the:con-- struction shown in Figs; 1 to 4. The wing por--' tions 2 2' composed; ofany: suitablematerial, as cardboardorsheet metal-,,1are secured at. their forward. edges: between twotransverse strips of metal [6, l6".v Preferably the lower strip-,lt hasi pins l1 upwardly projecting therefrom and reg-v1 istering with openings, HI inrthe strip:- l6',. and the wing portions :haveopenings along their. forward. edges registering with the pins. I so that they may be readily placed over said pins, and;-

the stripl6 lowered, to the.;end.that thawing portions aresecured between the strips 1-6 and.

I6. Preferably theiopposite end portions ofsthe strip" 16 are ofspring-.metal-, to:- the end that: they may be raised; to insert the wing. portions and will spring back into position! to.- securely-- retain the wing portionsclamped between the two portions 16,- lfi The: uppenstrip I6 has an upwardly projecting flange, l 8imidway betweeni its ends preferably riveted theretm- 'I-hedower strip l6 hasisecuredthereto and midway between;

its, ends a rearwardly; extending,- cover. portion. is; which passestrearwardly over andnoversthe bodyof the target, andi-extends rearwardly thereof and. has tailfins- 20,..29. secured thereto. A-zdown: wardly" projecting flange z ii; is secured; to: the' cover '18 justto-the rearot the:body.. ThiSF-COVBI portion'has two openings-22': and 12-3.- formed.therein: through-which: the..- lug: portions. .8, .8}. extendand when the cover portion is in its extreme rear position as shown in Fig. 5, the lugs 8, 8 serve I to hold the cover and the attached wing portions 2' 2', as well as the tail, united to the body; but when a hit is scored by a shot striking either flange l8 or 2|, the cover portion [9 is pushed forward relative to the lugs 8, 8', freeing'the body portion therefrom so that it will fall to the ground.

It willbe readily understood. by those skilled in the art that the inventive. idea may receive various other mechanical embodiments without departing from the spirit and the true merit of the invention as illustrated by the two embodiments described, and such variations and modifications as fall within the definitions of the appended claims are intended to be covered thereby. q

.What'tis-z'claimed is:

1. In an aerial target, the combination of a bodyportion, supporting wing portions above and movablelongitudinally of. said. body portion, means connecting saidbody and wing portionsin, one of" the longitudinal positions of the latter-but. freeing thewing, portions.- in another longitudinal position, and means actuated by the shot when saidmeans are hit in the, rear by: the shot and shifting. said wing" portions; from the connected;

to-the-disoonnected position. 1

2.,In an aerial target, the combination of-ua-i body portion, supporting wing .portionsabove anddetachably connected to said body portion, .-the.- center of. gravity of said body portion beingbe-- neaththe horizontal plane of the wing portions.

and meansdisconnecting saidwingportionsfrom saidbody portion when saidmeans arehit in the; rear bythe. shot.

3. Inan-aerial target, body: portion. lying I ina vertical plane, supporting wing, portions .in an approximately horizontal. plane extending across-"and above said body 1301'.- tion, means detachably connecting said wing and. body portions-, and means disconnecting said-wing. portions fromsaid; body. portion; when, a rear hit is scored thereon. 1

4. In an aerial target, the combination of aflat" body: portion lying in. avertical plane, supporting wingaportions, forwardly; extending shoulders on the upper'part; of said body portion under. which said: wing: portions engage to=connect said per-'1 tionsito-the-body portion, .and means actuated by theshot when-saidmeans are hitinthe rear by. thegshot and: advancing said? wingportions from. under. said shoulders; wherebyth'e wing and body.- portions are disconnected.

5. In'an aerial target, the combination. of a body-portion, supporting wing portions, forwardly extending shoulders on said body portionwithwhich:' said wing portions engage. in their rear :positionto connect said-portionsto the body portion, and means connected to the. wing portion and actuated: by the shot. when said means are hit in the rear by the slot' to advance said wing portions, whereby the wing and body portions are disconnected. l

. 6. In an aerial target, the combination of a hol-' low body portion, a cover forsaidbody portion the combinationlof aaflat;

slidable longitudinally thereof, means connecting '7. In an aerial target, the combination of a body portion, connected wing portions slidable longitudinally of and above said body portion, means connecting said wing portions to said body portion when the wing portions are in their rear position, and means actuated by the shot when said means are hit in the rear by the shot and imparting forward movement to said wing portions, whereby they are disconnected from said body portion.

8. In an aerial target, the combination of a fiat body portion lying in a vertical plane, integral wing portions consisting of a strip of sheet metal extending across said body portion and slidable longitudinally thereof, upwardly and forwardly extending lugs on said body portions and engaging the upper surface of said sheet metal strip when the latter is in its rear position but disengaged therefrom when the strip is in its forward position, and means actuated when hit by a shot i I when a hit is scored and sliding the said strip from its rear to its forward position, whereby the bodyportion is disconnected therefromr 9. In an aerial target, the combination of a body portion, supporting wing portions movable longitudinally of and above said body portion, means connecting said body and wing portions in the rearmost longitudinal position of the latter but freeing the wing portions upon being moved longitudinally of the body portion and a flange on said body portion and actuated by the shot when said flange is hit in the rear by a shot to shift said wing portions from connected to disconnected position.

W. G. WARREN. 

